“Can strategists really not ascend the throne?”
In the fires of the Leping Monthly Report, a certain Mr. Yuan from Ji Province, whose name went unspecified, arrived in Bingzhou last October looking for work.
He initially served at a place where farm tools were mass-produced and, thanks to his impressive calculation skills, he quickly caught the attention of the local management.
This earned him the chance to study abacus techniques at the Leping Academy.
As luck would have it, with the new emperor ascending in Chang’an, he was granted the opportunity to head to Chang’an alongside the Astronomical Observatory’s official to assist in its renovations.
His remarkable performance at the observatory led him to a position at the newly opened Hongwen Hall, where he took on the task of documenting activities.
His detailed records gained him high praise from the Marquis of Leping and led to him being recommended as a disciple and assistant to one of the heads of Hongwen Hall, Mr. Chen Yuanfang.
Despite such a rise, Mr. Yuan remained grounded and focused on his studies, becoming a case study for the teaching of the Qiao family in Yanzhou, earning accolades as a potential core member of the future governance.
There’s no telling who actually penned this document, but at the very end of this narrative, a motivational note was added—
“If you, reading or hearing this Leping Monthly Report today, are just a humble carpenter seeking survival in Bingzhou, worry not. Whether in Chang’an’s court or in Bingzhou’s streets, the standard is to promote only the talented. There are many paths for advancement, and tomorrow, you may just become a pillar of the Han!”
What an inspiring tale!
In just half a year, Mr. Yuan leaped from a commoner to a disciple of the Nine Ministers!
But when others hear this, they might remark on how Bingzhou truly breeds talent, a hidden trove of capabilities, but Yuan Shao would not.
He abruptly halted a retainer carrying the report, sitting up straight from his soft couch.
The strategists who had just finished discussing the military situation in Yu Province were called back, including Ju Shou, who had been ready to head to Chenliu with Gao Gan.
When they returned to the hall, they found Yuan Shao pacing back and forth, clutching the Leping Monthly Report.
Once everyone had gathered, he took a few more laps, his expression reflecting frustration and confusion as he paused, finally handing the report to Ju Shou while pointing at the page detailing Mr. Yuan’s promotion.
He asked, “In your view, do you think this promoted individual is likely to be Yuan Hao?”
This clearly didn’t sound like Qiao Yan pulling some witty nonsense to express her frustration about someone who couldn’t gain favor in Ji Province suddenly shining in Bingzhou.
If it were merely a fanciful story, she wouldn’t have included clear details about him taking Chen Ji as a mentor in the report.
So it seemed there really was a Mr. Yuan from Ji Province in Chang’an, and his rise was precisely as documented.
But if this story checked out, Yuan Shao couldn’t help but draw parallels to Tian Feng.
When had Tian Feng come to Bingzhou? Last October.
What surname did Tian Feng use? Yuan.
What a crazy coincidence!
Yuan Shao couldn’t fathom the idea that just any peasant in Bingzhou could rise so easily, even studying under a great sage.
Most likely, he always had this talent, but had been cleverly hiding it until now.
And this person might very well be Tian Feng!
Seeing that Ju Shou had passed the report to the next person, wearing a thoughtful expression, Yuan Shao continued, “The report also mentions that this Mr. Yuan from Ji Province is around forty years old, so age isn’t necessarily a barrier to success. Is forty also the age of Tian Yuanhao?”
As he spoke, Yuan Shao felt a buzzing in his head.
He had never imagined that Tian Feng, whom he thought had been discovered in Bingzhou while secretly studying, hadn’t met the disastrous fate he expected. Rather, he seemingly ascended to a valuable position as a useful assistant in Hongwen Hall, a student of the sage Chen Ji.
This meant the claim of Qiao Yan favoring him was probably true.
How absurd was this world?
Just yesterday he’d told his subordinates that sending Tian Feng to Bingzhou was a mistake on his end.
Even without concrete evidence about Tian Feng’s fate, Yuan Shao would have treated his family well.
But the result from Tian Feng was that he appeared to be climbing the ranks toward an official position in Chang’an!
A vein throbbed on Yuan Shao’s temple as he hears Ju Shou reply, “This does indeed sound like Yuan Hao.”
There were too many coincidences for it to just be chance.
“However…” Ju Shou shifted tone, “My lord, don’t be too hasty.”
Ju Shou gauged Yuan Shao’s expression and guessed his thoughts.
It boiled down to the suspicion that Tian Feng hadn’t sent word in half a year, yet had become a role model in Bingzhou—clearly, he had betrayed him.
But Ju Shou didn’t think so.
He said, “Consider this, my lord. If Tian Yuanhao truly meant to defect to Bingzhou, wouldn’t he want you to think he was dead? With his status as a notable from Hebei, he could easily seek out Qiao Yan to reveal his name and swap identities to offer counsel rather than becoming some kind of inspirational figure in Bingzhou, letting you know about him like this.”
Yuan Shao hesitantly nodded.
That was a fair point. Without intel from Ji Province and the Yuan surname, Yuan Shao wouldn’t have connected the dots so quickly.
Ju Shou continued, “Now, if Tian Feng had truly defected, concerned for his family in Ji Province, he wouldn’t make it so easy for you to guess his identity or appear so publicly in the Leping Monthly Report.”
That didn’t seem likely.
If he intended to do so, he could have waited until Qiao Yan succeeded in her campaign against Ye City before pulling a grand ‘returning hero’ stunt.
He wouldn’t expose himself now.
As Ju Shou passed the report to Xu You, he spoke up: “I agree with you, this report does not imply Tian Yuanhao has betrayed you, it could very well be his way of signaling you.”
Yuan Shao frowned, “How so?”
Xu You replied, “Think about it, when Tian Yuanhao arrived in Bingzhou, Qiao Yan already declared intent to support Liu Yu as emperor. Soon after, news came of Gongsun Zan defeating Liu Boan on the seaside, and Qiao Yan bringing Liu Boan back to the capital. Under those circumstances, sensitive information from Bingzhou likely needed to shift towards Chang’an, leading to inevitable exposure.”
“In this scenario, would Mr. Yuan know more if he’s in Bingzhou or if he’s in Chang’an?”
If Tian Feng was here, he’d really want to thank Xu You for his deduction.
He felt like he’d been dragged into this predicament, hardly because of personal motives for spying on Chang’an.
He even thought he was hitting a rough patch.
But after hearing both Ju Shou’s and Xu You’s assessments, Yuan Shao calmed his anger about betrayal as he gestured for Xu You to continue.
Xu You added, “From the perspective of Qiao Yan’s side, this Mr. Yuan from Ji Province may possess some knowledge, but he’s down-to-earth and industrious. With Zhang Chao in Chang’an needing manpower, they just had to promote him. Little did they know, in their attempt to praise this person like an expensive investment, they may have exposed quite a few of their secrets to Yuan Hao.”
Yuan Shao furrowed his brow, “If what you say is true, why hasn’t Tian Yuanhao sent back even a hint of news from Ji Province until now?”
It hadn’t been half a month—it had been half a year!
With Tian Feng’s wit, Yuan Shao found it hard to believe he couldn’t concoct a method of sending word before now.
Xu You responded, “That might just be where Yuan Hao shows his cleverness. Since he’s already risen to a high position, there’s no need to risk exposure by sending back information we could retrieve by other means. He might be better off maintaining a low profile to keep others oblivious to his true allegiance. However, he can’t let it seem like he’s a ghost here; he should offer some kind of signal.”
He raised the Leping Monthly Report, “Isn’t this the signal? You know your people so well, that even a subtle hint will be obvious, prompting you to reach out to him.”
Yuan Shao was skeptical, but noticing the report had made its way around the room and others were nodding in agreement with Ju Shou and Xu You, he began to think maybe they were onto something.
If this was indeed like Tian Feng’s “betrayal” performance, he’d surely be a bit dumb for revealing himself.
Yuan Shao didn’t think about whether his earlier hasty conclusions about Tian Feng also showed a lack of foresight, but instead turned to the gathered advisors, asking, “So what should I do? Should I send someone to reach out to Yuan Hao?”
“I have an idea, but I’m not sure if my lord would approve,” Xin Pi suddenly interjected.
“Speak freely,” Yuan Shao encouraged.
Xin Pi continued, “Tian Hao only recently revealed his whereabouts to you, perhaps out of fear that making contact with someone from Ji Province would raise suspicion. Now that he’s in Hongwen Hall, reaching out will be easier. Many scholars who wish to throw in their lot with the Chang’an court are still hesitating, providing a chance to make contact. You could dispatch a trusted person to pretend as a scholar from Hebei seeking an official position, connecting through their home town to pass messages back.”
Though Xin Pi suggested sending a trusted person, Yuan Shao dismissed the crowd and called for his second son, Yuan Xi.
“Xianyi, I want you to take a trip to Chang’an and get in touch with Tian Yuanhao.”
Yuan Xi nearly jumped at his father’s request.
But he composed himself, only asking, “Why this sudden decision, Father?”
Yuan Shao was neither Liu Biao nor Cao Cao, so he couldn’t send his second son to Chang’an like Liu Biao did to serve as a hostage nor like Cao Cao who sent his second son to Leping for studies.
To ask him to go to Chang’an now felt quite bizarre, even a dangerous mission.
The confrontation between the Ye City court and the Chang’an court was glaringly evident, with both prepared for a life-or-death struggle. Him going to Chang’an was like stepping into enemy territory!
Had it not been for his father mentioning Tian Feng in his later remarks, Yuan Xi almost thought his father was ready to abandon another son.
By “again,” he meant after the previous month’s passing of Yuan Ji, which led his father to adopt his eldest son, Yuan Tan, as a display of empathy towards his deceased brother.
As such, although Yuan Tan still held the title of Yuan Shao’s first son, according to tradition, he no longer had any obligation to consider his father as his biological da.
“The succession rights of Yuan Shao’s estate.”
Yuan Xi had a clear view of the family’s situation. His father pretended to show no favoritism among his three sons, but it was obvious that he favored the youngest son, Yuan Shang, who inherited more of his looks.
By adopting his eldest son out, it was partly to placate public opinion and also to pave the way for his youngest.
But for Yuan Xi, none of this mattered. Whichever brother their father chose, it wouldn’t be him.
So right now, he only cared about the task in front of him.
Regarding this matter, Yuan Shao filled Yuan Xi in on what had been discussed in today’s council, then said, “They all say Tian Yuanhao hasn’t betrayed me, but is messaging me this way. However, there’s also the chance he’s playing both sides or that my loyal men I sent to support him might turn against me in Chang’an—it’s all quite troublesome. After thinking it over, I’ve decided to send you.”
“I often feel our current situation is precarious. While I may be the first under the Son of Heaven in Ye City, everyone under me is hiding their true intentions. Take Ju Shou for instance; he’s been in command for a long time and holds significant power. In Qingzhou, many only know him as the cavalry commander who quells rebellions and are unaware of me. Plus, Xu Ziyuan is relying on our old friendship, and he allows his relatives to embezzle for personal gain,” Yuan Shao lamented.
With a glimmer of hope in his eyes, he looked at Yuan Xi and said, “I know you’re smart and filial, so I can only trust you completely. Xianyi, you won’t let your father down, will you?”
Yuan Xi rarely saw such focused attention from Yuan Shao and instinctively nodded.
Yuan Shao continued, “Fortunately, you’re still young and haven’t mingled much with the gentlemen of Hebei like your elder brother. It will be hard to expose your identity in Chang’an. Once you arrive, don’t rush to recognize Yuanhao; instead, watch his actions a bit longer. If you can confirm he isn’t betraying us, then you can make contact.”
Yuan Xi was also unsure how to judge the betrayal or not, but he thought, just as his father said, this trip to Chang’an shouldn’t be too hard for him to remain incognito; worst case, he’d return empty-handed.
Looking at it this way, it might not be a bad idea after all; if it goes well, he could earn some merit for his father.
Since Ju Shou and Gao Gan set off with minimal baggage, Yuan Xi decided to leave Ye City alongside them the next morning, planning to split ways once they reached the Yanzhou region.
Ju Shou had a bad feeling about Yuan Shao sending his second son to Chang’an to provide assistance.
However, with everyone already on their way out of the city, turning back to suggest anything to Yuan Shao would surely create tension, and might even earn him a scolding for delaying matters in Yuzhou, so he let that idea go.
On the way down from Ye City, he did share quite a few practical strategies for dealing with the situation in Chang’an with Yuan Xi.
Seeing Yuan Xi earnestly jotting down notes, Ju Shou couldn’t help but sigh internally.
Fortunately, not all his recent news was bad.
After parting ways with Yuan Xi and arriving in Chenliu County, he surprisingly learned that ever since the chaos following the death of Emperor Ling of Han in the sixth year of Zhongping, the Gao clan of Chenliu was so fearful that Yanzhou might one day become a battlefield, they had even started to train their private troops as actual soldiers.
Thanks to their sufficient financial resources to accommodate the families of these private soldiers and fully equip them with armor and weapons, they had formed quite a formidable force.
The news of Cao Cao absorbing the powerful Li clan of Juyi into his ranks was hardly a secret in Ye City.
When Ju Shou suggested to Yuan Shao to deploy private troops in Yu Province, he was considering this scenario.
Even at that time, Ju Shou only thought that if this new force had half the capability of a regular army, the speed of their mobilization and his command should be enough to give Yuan Shu quite a surprise.
But it was clear that the one getting surprised wasn’t Yuan Shu, but rather him.
Because the private army of the Gao clan had, under the training of its young members, become a terrifyingly strong force!
And he truly had to thank the marriage ties between the Gao clan of Chenliu and the Yuan clan of Runan, as that kept Cao Cao from paying heed to this location; otherwise, he would have never been given the opportunity to make contact.
This unit, named the Elite Troops, although only comprising a little over seven hundred men—just slightly more than what some fortresses could sustain—was enough, in Ju Shou’s eyes, to take down an enemy force four to five times its size!
He was quite excited about this discovery.
The stronger this private army was, the better chances he would have to turn the tide of the situation.
Chenliu County being adjacent to Yu Province meant he had very little time to train his troops, and the main factor was still the strength of this force itself.
Now, the only problem was how to persuade the Gao clan of Chenliu to wholeheartedly support the Ye City court and how to convince the commander of the Elite Troops to follow his lead, establishing enough trust for smooth cooperation when moving south later on.
As a member of the Gao clan, this young man, Gao Shun, though quiet, was well-read.
Plus, he maintained a habit of sobriety while training his private army, demonstrating his discipline.
Someone like that would never be easily deceived and probably wouldn’t be swayed by any promises of wealth from the Ye City court.
Ju Shou decided to be open with him.
Perhaps that’s the shortcut to dealings with a person like him.
Meanwhile, in Chang’an, Qiao Yan was unaware of the major changes soon to occur in Yu Province.
However, her not intervening in the war situation of Yu Province didn’t mean she wasn’t worried that Yuan Shao’s forces would completely eliminate Yuan Shu.
Earlier, after discussing with her chief military advisor, they both believed that regardless of whether Yuan Shu could pull some strings and ally with Sun Ce, the situation in Yang Province would definitely not allow for any covert actions to ensure their territory expanded to Kuaiji County; they would certainly intervene in this battle.
So it wasn’t so much that Yuan Huan chose to act first on Yuan Shu’s questionable battle tactics and sought to connect with Sun Ce to save Yu Province, but rather that Sun Ce and Zhou Yu had likely already made their plans, leading to a perfect match between the two sides.
After Yuan Shao’s vanguard was defeated, the likelihood of calming the situation in Yu Province with a single battle had become very low.
Yuan Shu was known for grand displays and likely wasn’t a person to suffer any assassination attempts.
There shouldn’t be any safety issues.
In the infighting between the Yuan brothers, she had maintained various checks and balances on Yuan Shao while giving Yuan Shu titles like Governor of Yu Province and General. She felt she had done her duty.
Therefore, rather than worrying about the war situation in Yu Province, it was clear that the implementation of policies in Chang’an was far more urgent.
When Yang Xiu arrived in response to Qiao Yan’s summons, he found her still perusing some letters.
Messages from Hanzhong indicated that the papermaking team from Bingzhou had successfully reestablished the papermaking process in Hanzhong.
Although they didn’t understand why Qiao Yan insisted on using bamboo as the raw material for paper, nor why she knew so much about treating bamboo fibers with lime beforehand, they only needed to follow her orders strictly for the projects she wanted to accomplish without inquiry.
According to Xu Shu’s estimation, if they economized on the killing process just a bit and produced a relatively rough draft, they could possibly deliver a batch of finished products by the end of next month.
In her reply, Qiao Yan informed him that the initial processes could be rough, but the step of breaking down the bamboo fibers had to be done meticulously to prevent the bamboo paper from being brittle.
After finishing that letter, she then looked toward Yang Xiu.
With a smile that almost wasn’t, Qiao Yan asked, “I hear you’ve been entertaining a special guest these past couple of days?”
Yang Xiu cleared his throat, “Ni Heng is a bit wild, but he indeed possesses great talent. It’s hard for him not to act a bit crazy at times…”
Ni Heng, from Qingzhou’s Pingyuan, had also been drawn to Chang’an after order was reestablished in the capital.
However, he was rather arrogant, often looking down on others. After visiting Hongwen Hall a couple of times, he made a comment about Xun Yu using his good looks to attend wakes and left without a second thought about recommending himself.
Whether it should be considered a match made in heaven or not, Yang Xiu didn’t return to Qiao Yan’s side for long before he coincidentally ran into Ni Heng on the road.
The two had a delightful conversation and became fast friends.
Since Ni Heng had been friends with Kong Rong in Qingzhou, he left behind a famous saying—
“The elder is Kong Wenju, the younger is Yang Dezhu. The rest are just mediocrities, not worth mentioning.”
In other words, to him, aside from Kong Rong and Yang Xiu, everyone else was unworthy.
Yang Xiu had endured a fair share of a genius’s scolding from Qiao Yan eight years ago, so he dared not heed such words and wished fervently for Ni Heng to be quiet.
Nonetheless, he genuinely enjoyed Ni Heng’s eloquence and merely suggested to take him out for a drink.
The drink, however, sparked some trouble.
The news of Qiao Yan wanting to impose a wine restriction and host a wine discussion event had reached not just Chang’an but also Yuan Shao’s side, and Ni Heng had naturally heard about it.
But just like Yuan Shao didn’t know how Qiao Yan convinced Liu Yu and the court ministers, Ni Heng was equally in the dark, so this big wine enthusiast couldn’t help but think this was an absurd decision.
After a few rounds of drinks, the intoxicated Ni Heng borrowed a drum from Yang Xiu, beat it, and sang about “the sky hanging the star of wine, the earth laying out the region of wine, and people shining with the virtue of wine,” and such.
In short, if Qiao Yan didn’t realize he was mocking her restriction in such a roundabout way, she might as well give up being Grand Marshal.
Ni Heng’s booming voice made sure those gathered outside Yang Xiu’s residence could hear clearly, and they promptly reported back to Qiao Yan.
Seeing Yang Xiu’s worried expression for Ni Heng, Qiao Yan replied somewhat helplessly, “Alright, I’m well aware that the opposition to this wine restriction isn’t just from Ni Heng. If that were the case, I wouldn’t need to hold this discussion event.”
Yang Xiu had just sighed in relief when he heard Qiao Yan add, “But this matter can be big or small; just after I proposed it, your friend starts a drunken ruckus. There has to be a punishment.”
“Then how about—”
She paused for a moment until Yang Xiu’s face showed just how bad he thought the situation was before adding, “You’ll be responsible for hosting these guests coming for the wine discussion.”
Yang Xiu walked out of the study feeling a bit dazed.
If this could be considered punishment, then it really was a light touch.
Such social engagements were as easy as pie for him.
Her only additional requirement was that this time, there were to be no drunken shenanigans.
But what kind of request was that!
Yang Xiu instinctively wondered if Qiao Yan’s assignment held some deeper meaning.
But remembering why he had previously been sent to Lü Bu as a messenger, he quickly dismissed that thought.
No, he couldn’t think of Qiao Yan’s decisions with the mindset of a commoner.
This was merely an act of recognition of his abilities and those of Ni Heng, a generous gesture in itself!
How could he judge a great person’s intentions with narrow-minded thinking!
